Does TennCare Discriminate Against the Mentally Ill?

People who know me know that I’m very open about my mental illness: Atypical Bipolar Disorder.  It’s caused me to lose relationships, friends, and a decent job.

But now does my mental illness prevent me from receiving TennCare Medicaid?  (TennCare is Tennessee’s state-run insurance plan.)

I’m currently on disability while my doctors have been sorting out my medications.  Fortunately, they might have found a good combination that works fairly well.  I am able to blog again, compose music, and socialize – Things I found very difficult before I was properly treated.

Since I’m on disability and have a pre-existing condition, TennCare was my only hope to pay for the medications and treatments that have allowed me to become more capable with daily activities and have greatly reduced my suicidal tendencies.

But this week, I received a letter in the mail stating that my TennCare will be cut off on October the 8th.  Explanation: none.

Without TennCare, it would be impossible to pay for me medications.  (Abilify alone is approximately $1200.)  Without my medications and help from my psychiatrist and therapist, I will revert back to my dangerous state of depression once again.

I will appeal their judgement.  But I want to talk to the person who made this decision to drop me and ask him/her why I was dropped from the system.

Once again, I’m fortunate to be in a clear-minded state to fight this battle.  But what if I were still suffering from suicidal depression when this happened to me?  Have other people with mental illnesses also been slashed by TennCare?  If so, who is going to help them with the appeal process?

I will update this post as the appeal process begins.

In the meantime, think about the people who are helplessly in the grip of mental illness, how they would respond to being cut out of the system.  At least, for now, I can think straight and put up a good fight.  But I feel sorrow for those who cannot help themselves due to their illnesses.

Sincerely,
Shannon